Album- Good Girl Gone
Bad
Artist- Rihanna
Rihanna is one of the biggest artists in today’s music
industry, and you would probably find it hard to find someone who didn’t know
who she is. Whilst the singer has had a strong career since her debut single Pon
De Replay came out, it is arguably with her third studio album Good Girl Gone
Bad that the singer really became the best selling mainstream artist that she
is today, as the record featured a plethora of hit singles and cultivated the
singers feistier pop image. But was Good Girl Gone Bad really that good an
album?
Track 1- Umbrella
(featuring Jay-Z)
The records lead single and remaining as one of the singer’s
biggest selling singles to date, Umbrella is a stomping pop rock and RnB
infused power ballad in which Rihanna sings to her baby of how they will always
be together and that when it rains her guy can stand under her umbrella. The song’s
lyrics are ridiculously catchy with a great ‘ella ella’ hook, and Jay- Z is a
great guest artist as his snappy and thought out rap perfectly compliments
Rihanna’s smooth and vibrant vocal performance. The use of heavy drum beats and
thunder cloud synths creates a thundering pop sound for the track that
immediately grabs your attention and which remains as fun to dance to now as it
did all those years ago when she first released it.
4.5/5
Track 2- Push Up on
Me
From the stomping rhythms of Umbrella we go into even more
of an electronic sound with Push Up On Me. Here the singer becomes a bit more
sultry and seductive as she sings of her wanting for her man to push up on her.
The songs chorus isn’t as immediately attention grabbing as Umbrella but the
vocal performance is great as Rihanna shows off a different element of her
personality, whilst the layered style of the vocal really brings out the
sensual style of the song. The blend of the surging synths with snappy electro
claps gives the song a slight Madonna esque, 80’s inspired electronic feel that
is powerful and dance floor ready, and what this song does is show that even at
this early stage of the album the singer is definitely not just a one trick
pony when it comes to her music.
3.5/5
Track 3- Don’t Stop
the Music
Sampling the Michael Jackson hit that is ‘Wanna Be Startin
Somethin’, Don’t Stop the Music is a great dance pop led track where the singer
simply sings of loving this DJ’s music and asking him not to stop playing these
tracks that she loves. The songs chorus is simple and catchy and is great for a
club setting, whilst the lyrics also nicely imbue a flirtatious and romantic
element into the song that is also a bit narrative like. Rihanna gives us a
smooth vocal performance that perfectly matches the overall energy of the song,
whilst the thumping techno rhythms of the production are lively and awesome to
dance to, and with the Jackson sample this song just is ready made to be a
dance music must have.
4.5/5
Track 4-Breakin’
Dishes
The single that never was, Breakin’ Dishes is a really
lively and feisty RnB pop number from the singer that finds her going away from
a romantic love and instead playing this role of a wronged woman who is tired
of her mans actions and who is breaking dishes out of her frustration. The
lyrics perfectly tap into that mindset of a wronged woman, whilst the chorus is
a feisty slice of pop that will probably resonate with some of the singer’s
female fans. Vocally Rihanna gives us a commanding, personality led performance
that almost makes this song feel like a blueprint for the feisty artist that
many people know Rihanna as today. The frenzied electro production with the
snappy, clapping beats creates a volatile sound that perfectly embodies the
songs lyrical sentiment, and this track is just a chant ready live anthem.
3.5/5
Track 5- Shut Up and
Drive
Rihanna changes things up a bit with Shut Up and Drive, a
flirtatious track which is more overtly pop rock led. The song finds the singer
telling this man that she just wants him to shut up and drive if he wants to
have her. The song is a fun slice of sexual innuendo laden pop with a stomping
electric guitar riff and bass heavy sound that keeps your attention for the
entire track. The song nicely utilises a bit of 80’s new wave style, and with
the sensual, charismatic and fun loving vocal performance that Rihanna
provides, this song is another chant ready live anthem for the ladies.
4/5
Track 6- Hate That I
Love You (featuring Ne-Yo)
Featuring American RnB singer songwriter Ne-Yo, Hate That I
Love You is more of a folksy RnB pop song that takes the album down to a
gentler state. The song is a sweet track where Ne-Yo and Rihanna play lovers
who hate things about each other, but they love each other in the end and
cannot stay mad at the other person for any long length of time. The song
nicely paints this picture of a romantic but slightly volatile love, and
vocally both artists blend together really well for a smooth performance that
feels sincere and makes it seem like we are really listening in on a true relationship.
The guitar led production with the more acoustic vibe creates an extra depth to
the song and provides a nice break from the more vibrant sounds of the record,
but the song is also still lively enough to maintain your attention and just
make you really feel the warmth of the lyrical message.
4/5
Track 7- Say It
Say It is another slightly more
chilled listen which features more of a silky RnB groove and island infused
beats. With this track the singer asks this person to just say what they want
and she might just give it to them, whilst she also just wants the person to
let go so that she can really know their feelings. The song is vocally the
weakest of the album so far as the layered style in this instance just feels a
bit whiny, although some of the singer’s ad libs are really nice. The message
of the song is sweet but after a while the repetition can become annoying,
whilst the shimmering melody and choppy rhythm of the song doesn’t have the
same impact as some of the previous tracks.
2.5/5
Track 8- Sell Me
Candy
From the silkiness of the last track we go into snappier
territory with Sell Me Candy. The song finds the singer going back to her more
sultry and flirtatious persona as she asks this person to sell her their
fantasies because she loves them. The singer vocally works really well within
this track as her layered vocal performance perfectly embodies the sultry feel
of the song, whilst the chorus is made stronger by the style of the vocal. The
best asset of the song is definitely the production as the track features
chaotic beats and just has this noisy quality that is really interesting and
feels more dynamic than the previous track.
3.5/5
Track 9- Lemme Get
That
Produced by well-known producer and hitmaker Timbaland,
Lemme Get That is another flirtatious slice of RnB pop which also has more of a
hip hop flavour to it. The song focuses on Rihanna telling this boy that she
wants them and also just wants to use them, with the singer nicely playing this
role of a mischievous, flirtatious and fun girl. The vocal performance is cool
as the processing of the singer’s voice provides the song with a slightly
grittier, flirtatious essence, whilst the vocal performance definitely feels
like a signature Rihanna style. Timbaland does a great job with the production
as he provides some cool boom-bap beats and creates this horn driven sound that
is funky and infectious to listen to.
3.5/5
Track 10- Rehab
Rehab takes the album to a little bit more of a gentler
state, but lyrically the track is quite potent. Co-written and co-produced by
Justin Timberlake, the track finds Rihanna detailing this relationship in which
she got a bit swept up in love and now she is left broken and feels like she
needs to go to rehab to move on from this boy. The song nicely brings some more
emotional depth to the record, and although the idea of love as a drug and the
idea of needing to check into rehab because of love isn’t original, the lyrics
are still sophisticated and catchy with a nice ‘oh oh oh oh oh’ hook. The
singer’s vocal performance is smooth and slightly vulnerable, whilst Timberlake
provides some nice, unaccredited vocals for the bridge. The songs production
features more of a typical RnB style with this great groove built around a good
backbeat and some smart acoustic guitar swirls, bringing another layer of
diversity and passion to the record.
3.5/5
Track 11- Question
Existing
Penultimate track Question Existing provides the records
darkest and perhaps chaotic moment, with the songs lyrical message being pretty
much summed up in the title. What is great about the lyrics is that the idea of
questioning your existence can be tied to a variety of aspects of life, and for
each individual listener the song can really resonate in different ways. We also
get a real personal feel with this song, with the bridge being great as the
singer speaks of her humanity and her time in the spotlight, and this just
shows that when you strip away the pop star persona, this is really just an
ordinary girl feeling the same feelings everyone does. The songs chopped
rhythms brings a dark and eerie atmosphere to the track, whilst the processed
style of the vocal adds another layer of eeriness to the track, making Question
Existing a great moment in the record where the singer seems to really let go
and brings forceful, honest passion to her music.
3.5/5
Track 12- Good Girl
Gone Bad
The records title track and the closing number for the
album, Good Girl Gone Bad finds Rihanna singing about how if a girl is treated
wrong then she easily turn into a bad girl, and if a girl does go bad then they
will be bad forever. The song nicely acts as a bit of a kiss off and an anthem
for ladies who feel wronged by their man. Vocally the singer’s fast paced but
smooth performance is just great, with the singer’s personality really making
the song feel like something where she is not just singing but has lived the
words. The clicking beats and acoustic guitar led sound is simple but
effective, and as such this is a simple but really effective and strong end to
the record.
3.5/5
Final Review
Good Girl Gone Bad really is an accomplished album from an
artist who definitely seemed to find her musical style and her persona with
this record. The album is packed with infectious lyrical hooks amd smooth, personality
driven vocal performances, as well as smart production that blends a variety of
genres into a really cohesive body of work. This album just definitely deserved
the success it gave Rihanna and might remain her best selling record for the
foreseeable future.
8.5/10
Best Track- Umbrella
(featuring Jay-Z)
Worst Track- Say It
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